Putting It Into Perspective
I’m a fan of American culture in general, but I’ve always been very clear to distinguish the behavior of the individual, from the collective morals of a society.
Some of the small number of prisoners who remained in the jail after the Americans left said they had pleaded to go with their departing captors, rather than be left in the hands of Iraqi guards.
“The Americans were better than the Iraqis. They treated us better,” said Khalid Alaani, who was held on suspicion of involvement in Sunni terrorism.
As written yesterday in the UK Telegraph, when things are put into perspective, America really isn’t that bad, and when faced with the alternative, even those who would spit on our flag, would rather have us as their captors and protectors (this means you France), than anyone else.
Access to the part of the prison containing terrorism suspects was denied, but from that block came the sound of screaming. The screaming continued for a long time.
“I am sure someone was being beaten, they were screaming like they were being hit,” the witness reported. “I felt scared, I was asking what was happening in the terrorist section.
“I heard shouting, like someone had a hot iron on their body, screams. The officer said they were just screaming by themselves. I was hearing the screams throughout the visit.”
The witness said that even in the thieves’ section prisoners were being treated badly. “Someone was shouting ‘Please help us, we want the human rights officers, we want the Americans to come back’,” he said.
And still…the abuse isn’t as bad as that that took place under Saddam, or takes place currently in other Middle East countries. Again, I must reiterate, mistakes are made by individuals, and they will continue to be made, statistically it’s near impossible that everyone is perfect…there are some unbalanced angry people who are going to make us look like terrible human beings, I accept that…but people need to remember where we stand in the middle of all of this, proud and strong, surrounded by people who curse us as they hold their hands out for our help.
And Khalid Alaani, who was also picked up in Ramadi suspected of involvement in Sunni terrorism, said: “We preferred the Americans. We asked to move with them to Baghdad airport because we knew the treatment would be changed because we know what the Iraqis are. When the Americans left everything changed.”
We are good people, left, right, and center. Some of us are wrong…but we’re still good.
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